Polish American History

Polish American History

The History of Poles in the United States is a portion of American history that dates to the American Colonial era beginning with the first Polish colonists in 1609. Polish Americans have lived as a largely indistinguishable minority group in the United States, although bouts of anti-polonism have defined their experience historically. Polish Americans have always constituted the largest group of Slavic origin in the United States.

Immigration from Poland to the United States has been divided into three distinct stages or "waves". The first and largest wave was from 1870 to 1914 when over 2 million ethnic Poles fled Polish districts of Germany, Russia, and Austria. A second wave occurred during and after World War II, and a third wave followed the liberation of communist-ruled Poland in 1989. Immigration was pushed by political, social, and religious oppression, and pulled by economic and societal freedoms unknown in the Old World. Immigrants were attracted by the relatively high wages and ample job opportunities for unskilled manual labor, and were well-represented in American mining, meatpacking, construction, steelwork, and heavy industry—in many cases dominating these fields until the mid 20th Century. Over 90% of Poles arrived and settled in established immigrant communities, called Polonia. The largest such community historically was in Chicago, Illinois.

The Polish today are well-assimilated into American society. Average incomes have increased from well below average to above average today, and Poles continue to expand into white-collar professional and managerial roles. Poles are still well-represented in blue collar construction and industrial trades, and many live in or near urban cities. They are well-dispersed throughout the United States, and since the 1960s have moved on to live in the suburbs and become more conservative.